Innovations in Asthma Research and Scholarship - VIDEO COURSE

When available, the Online Course format is included with the hard copy, eBook, or audio book formats!

Release Date: September 30, 2016

Expiration Date: September 30, 2018

New VIDEOcourse format.

This course highlights the best in asthma research scholarship, featuring: an award-winning regional asthma management program; a program funded by the American Lung Association focusing on asthma and weight management intervention for overweight and obese children with asthma and their guardian(s); and a lively, evidence-based online asthma education program. The leader of each initiative, ranging from a respiratory therapist to a pediatric psychologist, walks you through their research and findings in this group presentation.

AARC Approval #147424000

This course is the result of a creative partnership between the Association of Asthma Educators and Western Schools. This presentation took place on August 6, 2016, at the Association of Asthma Educators 2016 Annual Conference in Jacksonville, Florida.

Describe the population served by the Asthma Disease Management Program.

Describe different methods to manage weight for patients with asthma.

Explain the relationship between smoking cessation and behavioral change.

Melinda Shuler, BSBA, RRT, RCP, NDC, HHS, AE-C, serves as the regional clinical supervisor of the Regional Asthma Disease Management Program of Mission Children’s Hospital, in Asheville, North Carolina. This program is recognized as a National Asthma Demonstration Site, one of 13 in the nation, by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health. This program was also the 2012 Health Care Provider Recipient of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Environmental Leadership Award in Asthma Management. Ms. Shuler is also principal investigator, project manager, and grant administrator for the National Asthma Control Initiative of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the EPA Asthma Grant of Western North Carolina. Ms. Shuler holds a bachelor of science and business administration degree from Western Carolina University and an associate of applied science degree in respiratory care from Southwestern Community College in Sylva, North Carolina. Ms. Shuler received the 2011 Asthma Champion Award at the North Carolina Asthma Summit.

David Fedele, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Clinical and Health Psychology at the University of Florida. Dr. Fedele’s professional training is in clinical psychology, with an emphasis in pediatric psychology. He earned his doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Oklahoma State University in 2012, completed his pre-doctoral internship training as a pediatric psychology resident at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University in 2011-2012, and remained at Brown as a T32 postdoctoral fellow before beginning work at the University of Florida. Dr. Fedele’s program of research focuses on psychosocial aspects of pediatric chronic illnesses, including how health behaviors, adherence to treatment regimens, and the family system affect health outcomes. His recent work has predominantly focused on youth diagnosed with asthma and their families. Dr. Fedele has been awarded grant funding from the National Institutes of Health and the American Lung Association to design and implement family- and community-based interventions that seek to reduce morbidity and encourage disease self-management (e.g., adherence) for youth diagnosed with asthma.

Stuart Tousman, PhD, is a professor of health psychology at Jefferson College of Health Sciences in Roanoke, Virginia, where he has taught courses in research methods, statistics, and behavior change and currently teaches learning and memory. His research is in asthma self-management. Dr. Tousman is also the president of the Virginia Asthma Coalition and an active member of the Greater Roanoke Valley Asthma and Air Quality Coalition. He also recently served as the Chair of the 2016 Association of Asthma Educators Annual Conference. Dr. Tousman received his PhD from Binghamton University, State University of New York; his master of science degree also from Binghamton University; and his bachelor of science degree from The Ohio State University.

Lisa Johnson, RRT, RCP, BAS, AE-C, is a health sciences instructor at Greene County Public Schools. Over the past several years, she has assisted with a research project, the Eastern Carolina Asthma Prevention Program (ECAPP), that provides home-based visits that target environmental triggers in the homes of children with asthma. Knowledge, behavior, and clinical components are measured at the beginning and end to determine whether interventions (education, control, compliance, and environmental supplies) have improved asthma management. Emergency department, hospitalization, urgent care visits, and respiratory symptoms are recorded throughout the study.

David Chang, EdD, RRT-NPS, is a professor in the Department of Cardiorespiratory Care at the University of South Alabama, Mobile, and the lead planner for the Respiratory Therapy program at Western Schools. He has served on many committees and in many capacities at the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC), National Board for Respiratory Care, and Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care. Dr. Chang’s special interests are in research and mechanical ventilation. He has published five textbooks and developed an open source website, Rtexam.com, for students and practitioners. Dr. Chang conducts training sessions for students and educators at the state, national, and international levels.

Contact hours will be awarded for up to one (1) year from the date the course is ordered, unless otherwise indicated with an expiration date.

You must score 75% or higher on the final exam and complete the course evaluation to pass this course and receive a certificate of completion.

Through our review processes, Western Schools ensures that this course content is presented in a balanced, unbiased manner and is free from commercial influence. It is Western Schools’ policy not to accept commercial support.

All persons involved in the planning and development of this course have disclosed no relevant financial relationships or other conflicts of interest related to the course content.

Dr. Fedele has disclosed that he has received grant funding from the National Institutes of Health and the American Lung Association. The peer reviewer has confirmed that this presentation is current, evidence-based practice, and without bias.